​The Politics of Liberation covers various issues regarding the Black community. This particular essay, namely Black Power: Its Need and Substance, discusses the notion of black people banning together and the necessity of reclaiming their identity.

Ture and Hamilton urge the Black community to redefine themselves whilst eradicating old values and institutions. This is part of Black Power, which is a call for melanated people to unite, recognize their heritage and build up a sense of true community.

The goal of Black Power is positive; however White people view it in a negative light (e.g., reminiscent of racism and violence or Black supremacy).

Society doesn't expect black people to be able to take care of business (i.e., to do what needs to be done); Black Power demands that business is taken care of.

According to Ture and Hamilton, integration is a way of making Black people forget their heritage, values and morals. It means that a few black people "make it".

The essay also describes how integrated Black people ultimately forget who they are and where they come; therefore they eventually no longer desire to be a "Negro" and aspire to become an indivdual. This is detrimental to them and the collective because White people begin to view us as "Tokens" and meaningless because so many are sucked into the masses.

If I'm feeling lethargic, irritable or under pressure like my back is up against the ropes, then I try to boost my mood. The most important thing for me is having confidence that I’m taking positive action toward making myself feel better.

To clear my mind and make negative emotions less intense, I like to relax at the spa or exercise at 24hr Fitness. I also like to do silly things to remind myself of life's goodness like having Disney movie marathons or N'sync lip-sync sessions.

Another strategy I've tried to improve my mood long-term and adopt a more positive world view is shadowboxing. This trick certainly offers a quick mood boost and confidence lift, which has worked wonders for me and I hope it will help you too:

Stand up.

Find a spot in the room where you can see your shadow on the wall.

Begin with a slight skip-jog motion.

Loosen up your shoulders.

Do a couple air jabs.

Control your breathing (i.e., in thru nose and out thru mouth).

Keep up your skip-jog pace.

If you're willing and able, do your best Ali impression: “Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee” “I AM the GREATEST!”

​Background and MotivationThis post will examine an organization (i.e., private, tax-exempt, non-profit) with headquarters in the United States, which has inclusive practices and policies at various inclusion levels (e.g., within the company, with the community, with state/federal programs, and internationally). For the purposes of this post, Goodwill Industries Inc. will be analyzed to determine whether the company demonstrates an understanding and respect for diversity. Goodwill Industries Inc. was founded in 1902 and is currently based in Rockville, Maryland. According to the company's "About Us" (2016) section, it serves to help various vulnerable populations (e.g., youth, seniors, veterans, immigrants, people with criminal histories, etc.). Goodwill also provides job training, placement, employment, and supportive services to individuals and families with disabilities and other specialized needs. As of March 2013, "the company operated a network of 165 independent, community-based Goodwill's in the US, Canada, and 13 other countries" (Business, 2016).​Goodwill Industries was founded in Boston, South End during 1902 by a Methodist minister, Reverend Edgar James Helm (History, 2016). Goodwill Industries Inc. was originally known as Morgan Memorial Cooperative Industries and Stores, Inc. and it became formally incorporated in 1910. It was housed in Boston's Morgan Memorial Chapel. The current name of “Goodwill Industries” was later adopted after a Brooklyn, NY; workshop coined the phrase from a 1915 Christmas homily. Reverend Helms once collected used household items and clothing in more affluent areas of the city, he then trained and hired indigent people and immigrants to repair the used items for resale; the proceeds later paid the worker’s wages. The Goodwill Industries is motivated by their philosophy of “a hand up, not a hand out”, which was born out of Helm's vision and his system remains a constant fuel to this $4 billion nonprofit organization (McCrehan, 2016).

Goodwill Industries provides services to people experiencing difficulty entering the workforce due to lack of education, proper training, or disabilities. The company’s main business is to champion inclusive environments where people with specialized needs can enter into the workforce and furthermore into society with a better sense of ownership over their futures. The central agency in Rockville, MD coordinates the activities over many independent regional branches. The majority of Goodwill Industries revenue is fostered via the resale of donated items at their many retail stores (i.e. over 3,000 and an online auction site). True to Helm's vision, the generated revenue is used to fund their educational and employment services within the company. Through their 21st Century Initiative, Goodwill Industries aims to "improve the economic self-sufficiency of 20 million people and their families by 2020" (McCrehan, 2016). This initiative plan offers broad strategies for more career training, family services, technological literacy, and business opportunity development.

Goodwill Industries Inc. works to strengthen dignity and the quality of life for people by fortifying communities, removing barriers to opportunities, and “helping people in need of reaching their full potential” obtain education and employment (About Us, 2016). Goodwill provides help on many levels for training, attaining, and retaining "good jobs". This is the motivation behind everything Goodwill Industries does, in terms of their inclusive practices. At Goodwill, the belief is that work is the essential factor in the potential of people to achieve desirable life outcomes. Out of that belief, “independence, pride, self-esteem, and sense of purpose" transpires (What We Do, 2016). This illustrates the company’s motivation toward service and success, which is designed to permeate the culture of the organization while continuing to grow and serve the community.

Levels of the Inclusive WorkplaceGoodwill Industries incorporates the first level of the Inclusive Workplace model within their company (i.e. inclusion through diversity within the work organization). On a micro level, the company believes that all people must be “integrated into the workforce to make our economy stronger" (“Goodwill Industries Works to Build a Strong and Inclusive Workforce”, 2012). Their primary purpose is vocational rehabilitation. The company covers principal areas of diversity via education and training of personnel within their organization, in addition to constituting career development, planning, and placement for job seekers. Goodwill's staff members also aid with employment skills building within the organization (e.g., resume writing, mock interviews, job search, etc.), which shows their strategy for achieving organizational outcomes in making diverse groups of people employable.

In terms of internal relations, a volunteer, Board of Trustees, governs Goodwill Industries. The members are unpaid and elected from the community. The current President and Chief Executive Officer [CEO], Jim Gibbons, provides top-level management, as well as the executive team. The employees on the executive team are responsible for the development, coordination, and implementation of programs or operations at Goodwill. Middle level management has specialized training or experience (e.g., professional or technical employees),; they carry out the duties of their departments that aid in the vocational rehabilitation processes at Goodwill, such as workforce development. Lower levels of management (e.g., service employees) are skilled and retain their jobs by virtue of their specific abilities, such as store managers or head cashiers.

Entry-level employment at Goodwill Industries is sensitive to disadvantaged populations (e.g., individuals with disabilities or criminal histories). Goodwill views these populations, which are often locked out of opportunities, as "a potentially stable and upwardly mobile workforce" (Mor Barak, 2014, pp. 277). Certain entry-level positions will offer on-the-job training, such as janitorial or technical training. The company proves further commitment in supporting an inclusive workplace as it is an equal opportunity employer, which brings "together people of different cultures, backgrounds, and life experiences", from their executives to their associates, "to inspire creativity and innovation" ("Goodwill Values Diversity In The Workplace”, 2016).

Goodwill Industries employment decisions are based on merit and business needs. Their inclusion policies and practices regarding matters of employment are based primarily upon job performance ability, in addition to the new employee’s reliability once hired. Goodwill offers training, workshops, GED preparation, and rehabilitation services to anyone within the company. It does not forbid nepotism (e.g., hiring of family members or relatives), and does not view outside employment (e.g., a second job) as a conflict of interest. The company adheres to the Americans With Disabilities Act, which considers “disabled” individuals as “qualified” given that he or she can effectively perform essential functions of their employment position with or without reasonable accommodation. Management recognizes its obligation to preserve personal safety by including a policy that prohibits harassment and abuse (e.g., physical, sexual and verbal). Employees are also prohibited from dating or having personal relationships with rehabilitation clients, which demonstrates professional responsibility in policy making.

The inclusive programs and practices at Goodwill Industries extend beyond the organization and into the surrounding communities. The company relies on mutual respect and encourages public and private sectors to strengthen their workforce by hiring qualified people with specialized needs. On a mezzo level, Goodwill Industries has "a sense of being a part of the surrounding community and the reciprocity embedded in this relationship" (Mor Barak, 2014, pp. 259). The company recognizes that they have a responsibility to their stakeholders, as well as the community. The company understands the economic and non-economic impact of community engagement and it values corporate-community collaborations, which illustrates their incorporation of the second level in the Inclusive Workplace model.

This highlights Goodwill’s nature of empowerment via employment. Goodwill Industries demonstrates their ethical and moral values to help potential job seekers and provide benefits to the surrounding community (e.g., tax-deductible charitable donations or partnership opportunities). Goodwill Industries makes positive contributions to the surrounding community’s well being via corporate collaborations, giving them more than a local reach and constituting the fourth level of the Inclusive Workplace model. From a "macro" system level of international relations, Goodwill Industries incorporates inclusion into their workplace as well by collaborating with others across boundaries. According to Kim (2016), this company has been operating on a global scale since the 1970s with partners in the US and Canada, as well as 14 other affiliates in South Korea, Brazil, Panama, Mexico, Finland, West Indies, Venezuela, Philippines, Thailand, Italy, Taiwan, Uruguay, Costa Rica, and Israel.

Critical Analysis of ProgramsGoodwill Industries is inclusive at the micro level of the Inclusive Workplace model given that the company values individual and intergroup differences within its workforce (e.g., unbiased hiring process, equal opportunity employer). The company is also inclusive at the second level of the Inclusive Workplace model given that it collaborates with, and contributes to, its surrounding community. According to Zilai (2016), "Goodwill agencies demonstrate a leadership commitment to family strengthening throughout all levels of their organizations", such as creating family strengthening teams or community partnerships to provide a wider array of family programs (e.g., child care, free tax preparation assistance, medical services, transportation, career services for people over age 55, etc.). These community-based agencies build their revenues and develop jobs by contracting with businesses and government in order to provide other commercial services (e.g., assembly and packing, food service preparation, document shredding, administrative support, etc.). Goodwill Industries have been contracted with many household-name companies, such as the Internal Revenue Service, General Electric, General Motors, SC Johnson, Whirlpool, and the U.S. Army, Air Force, Navy and Marines (Zilai, 2016). Goodwill programs also receive support from a wide range of funding sources, including federal funding, to deliver job training and employment opportunities.​Goodwill Industries constitutes inclusion at the third level of the Inclusive Workplace model given that their aim is to alleviate the needs of disadvantaged groups (e.g., people with disabilities or criminal histories) to create a better fit in the wider environment. On a macro level, Goodwill Industries also collaborates with individuals, groups and organizations across national and cultural boundaries. Inclusion is constituted at the fourth level of the Inclusive Workplace model as Goodwill Industries shows adaptability and innovation on a global scale with partnerships in 13 other countries. These partnerships consider their country’s unique social and economic climate to enable citizens to become self-sufficient and build better communities. Goodwill has other high profile partnerships with the Annie E. Casey Foundation, the Bank of America Foundation, the Walmart Foundation, Accenture, and the U.S. Department of Labor, which in some cases, provide financial resources and expertise to strengthen their approach in preparing people to enter the workforce and support themselves (Zilai, 2016). Goodwill has formed corporate alliances with "cause-marketing partners”, such as Gap, Hanes, Levi Strauss & Co., Microsoft and Tide, for branding purposes and in order to raise awareness of the company's mission of creating opportunities for disadvantaged people. Various nonprofits also work with the Goodwill to fulfill their mission of connecting anyone with opportunities for upward mobility and supportive resources that help facilitate success (e.g., Easter Seals, Feeding America, Habitat for Humanity, etc.).Although Goodwill Industries implements inclusive policies and practices into the workplace and has had success with collaborations, some barriers remain on several fronts. Despite attempts to foster an inclusive environment it appears their efforts are not translating across the board within the company. According to an online forum, the company does not offer flexible work arrangements to accommodate the diverse needs and lifestyles of all its employees. The online forum lists other allegations from Goodwill employees, nationwide, who have experienced an unsupportive working environment within the company - such as bullying, employee confidentiality issues, and sexual harassment ("Looking for any one that has had problems with goodwill", 2016). These multiple claims adversely affect Goodwill Industries' mission; it appears more specialized training is needed to improve the culture and communication within the organization. This could boost employee morale, improve productivity, and lower turnovers.

Goodwill Industries has endured other legal troubles. Lawsuits have been filed against the company for various claims of mistreatment and other discrimination practices. Goodwill Industries was sued by the U.S. EEOC, on behalf of a former retail store worker in Lawtown, who alleged retaliation from the company via wrongful termination for her testimony in a separate federal sex and age discrimination lawsuit against them (EEOC, 2014). Goodwill Industries settled the long-standing lawsuit and agreed to pay $100,000 to the claimant but it had a negative effect on the company’s image of valuing human rights and creating a safe, inclusive environment. Additionally, a press release by a Houston attorney, Jesse Quackenbush, details a case from July of 2015 involving Goodwill Industries being sued for $50 million after allegations of rape emerged from an employee (Quackenbush, 2015).

According to Quackenbush’s press release, a 33-year-old developmentally disabled Goodwill employee, with the IQ of 59, was working during October of 2014 when she forgot her lunch. Apparently, a male employee, who was on parole when hired by Goodwill Industries, was given permission to take the female employee to a fast food restaurant. While taking her out to lunch, the male employee allegedly raped the female employee. According to Ruiz (2015), the female employee gave birth to a 2-pound baby five months after the incident. She and her mother were unaware of her pregnancy yet the baby survived labor but with permanent injuries. This illustrates barriers to Goodwill’s inclusive practices; their unbiased hiring process improves their corporate image and gives them advantages in recruitment but it can present obstacles to the company vision by negatively affecting worker retention, reporting, and safety. It suggests a lack of leadership and mentorship at all levels within the organization, which is needed to “champion and sustain efforts” (Mor Barak, 2014, pp. 264).

CNN has also highlighted another case regarding an FBI fraud investigation into AbilityOne, which uses tax money to provide jobs to people with disabilities. This exclusive investigative report showed a raid of a Goodwill Industries central agency in Memphis, which is a multi-million dollar sub contractor with that federal program involved in a nationwide corruption scheme (Bronstein and Devine, 2015). The investigation dealt with fraud, insider dealing, and bid rigging on federal contracts meant for disability hires. Goodwill Industries in Memphis had multi million dollar AbilityOne contracts with the IRS, the U.S. Department of Veterans, and the General Services Administration. The government requires seventy five percent of the work be performed by the severely disabled if awarded with AbilityOne contracts. Since 2010, approximately 22 million dollars was given to this Memphis office alone and it was not meeting federal guidelines (i.e., Goodwill was awarded contracts for hiring the severely disabled but was not). This suggests the need for program improvement, in terms of internal relations (e.g., checks and balances at levels of management within the organization) to ensure workplace inclusion and the fulfillment of contracts for people with disabilities.

Evidence of Outcomes and ImpactGoodwill Industries Inc. has considerable impact as evidenced by the company’s achievements in education, employment and community services. It has numerous satisfied employees as they have placed more than 318,000 people into employment. According to the company's "About Us' (2016) section, "as a result of the educational credentials attained, these individuals increased their collective lifetime earnings by more than $11 billion". Goodwill Industries' impact is further evidenced by the company's service to 26.4 million people in total and by over 2 million people receiving their agency's job training and placement services. The company has also seen improvements in technological outcomes due to over 24 million people using their mobile and online learning (e.g., GoodProspects, GCFLearnFree.org) in order to improve their skills or access virtual services, which was an increase of three times the number in 2013. According to Zilai (2016), shopgoodwill.com is the nation’s first and only nonprofit Internet on-line retail operation, which was ranked one of the top 10 online auction sites, in addition to being among Time.com’s “50 Best Websites” during 2009. The revenue generated by Goodwill Industries totaled $5.37 billion and eighty three percent of that total revenue spent went directly toward its programs. Goodwill was rated 11 in Forbes’ top 20 most inspiring companies in 2014 and has been featured as one of Forbes’ most inspiring companies for the past three years. In terms of success in public relations, Goodwill was also rated one of the top five most valuable and recognized nonprofit brands nationwide (Zilai, 2016).

Summary and ConclusionGoodwill Industries Inc. adopted a vision of inclusion that is deeply intertwined into it now. Their mission is to include perspectives and talents of a diverse workforce for business and ethical purposes. It works to build inclusive workspaces and communities both nationwide and internationally. The company illustrates this by providing benefits, sponsoring and/or supporting community events, collaborating with community and corporate organizations, in addition to having values within the organization that promote diversity and inclusion globally. Although there are challenges that come from some of the company’s inclusion practices, in terms of recruitment and training, Goodwill Industries appears to promote an egalitarian workforce.​Discussion and Further AnalysisGoodwill Industries could have managed their diversity issues better by providing sensitivity training to management, more comprehensive workshops on harassment or creating a lunch program for employees. Goodwill Industries faces continuing discrimination lawsuits suggesting the need for improvement to vetting new recruitments. Although recruiting diverse groups is a cost saving method that has a positive effect on the company’s image and stock price, the lawsuits indicate challenges that could be detrimental to client and employee safety. Perhaps some policies to constitute inclusion need to be handled in a more socially responsible manner, in terms of recruitment, mentoring, and leadership training. The various lawsuits have significant impact on the public perception of the company in addition to its financial stability.​References

Business (2016). Company Overview of Goodwill Industries International, Inc. Retrieved February 12, 2016, from http://www.bloomberg.com/research/stocks/private/snapshot.asp?privcapId=6706690

EEOC. (2014, July 22). Goodwill to Pay $100,000 to Settle EEOC Lawsuit for Retaliation. Retrieved February 11, 2016, from http://www.eeoc.gov/eeoc/newsroom/release/7-22-14.cfm

Goodwill Industries Works to Build a Strong and Inclusive Workforce (2012, October 23). Retrieved February 11, 2016, from http://www.goodwillcfl.org/blog/goodwill-industries-works-to-build-a-strong-and-inclusive-workforce/

Goodwill Values Diversity In The Workplace. (2016). Retrieved February 14, 2016, from http://www.goodwillsewcareers.com/about-us/diversity

History. (2016). Retrieved February 12, 2016, from http://www.goodwillwm.org/about-us/history/

Looking for any one that has had problems with goodwill. (2016). Retrieved February 14, 2016, from http://www.indeed.com/forum/cmp/Goodwill-Industries/looking-one-that-has-had-problems-goodwill-Sexuall/t23221

Dr. Cornel Ronald West was born on June 2nd, 1953 in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Currently, Dr. West is a Professor of Philosophy and Christian Practice at Union Theological Seminary in New York and Professor Emeritus at Princeton University.

When he was younger, Dr. West read how Roosevelt overcame his asthma, went to Harvard and went on to become a great speaker. So, at eight years old, despite being ignorant to the ideal of higher education, Dr. West decided he would go to Harvard.

He was able to accomplish this amazing feat; he graduated magna cum laude in a mere three years. He later taught religion and directed the Afro-American Studies Department at Princeton prior to joining the Harvard faculty in 1994 and returned to the Princeton Department of Religion in 2002.

A prolific writer and lecturer, Dr. West has won numerous awards including, the American Book Award, and received more that 20 honorary degrees. A true champion for the oppressed and downtrodden, Dr. West's teaching, speaking and writing draws inspiration from various avenues and weaves together jazz, hip hop, R&B, core Christian values, radical democracy and melanated prophetic traditions.

His best-selling book, Race Matters, really changed to course of American dialogue on justice and race. His first scholarly book Prophesy Deliverance! An Afro-American Revolutionary Christianity, sought to combine Marxism and Religion. Overall, Dr. West has made numerous intellectual contributions to our body of knowledge, which draw from the Baptist Church, Pragmatism and more.

Toward the end of last year, Oprah put a challenge to her team: What did they want 2017 to bring to their lives? What should it show them, teach them, and inspire in them?

Living on the edge is what Oprah desired to do with her precious time this year, particularly in the Grand Canyon.

​Although I adore exhilarating new experiences and broadening my horizons, I've already had enough adventure for awhile in Trump Country. So, I knew I wanted something different: to enrich my life by accomplishing things I had once aspired to do and couldn't due to others bi-directional influence on my life.

Oprah made 2017 the Year of Adventure but I declared it the Year of Empowerment.

​​Thus far, my journey has been unlike anything I've done; I want you to join me as I continue to become stronger and more confident, especially in controlling my life, claiming my rights, and advocating for marginalized groups.

​​​For the last six months, I've worked diligently to acquire my Master of Social Work Degree, which I was humbled and honored to receive last month from The USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work.

​But this educational accomplishment is not solely about being "book smart". According to Martin Luther King Jr.,

The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. Intelligence plus character - that is the goal of true education.

Keeping that in mind, I plan to continue pushing the boundaries of my comfort zone, in terms of intelligence and character, similar to the new book I cooked up a few months ago, Afrikan Eats in the Diaspora. Publishing my own cookbook was unfamiliar territory for me; nevertheless, I embraced the challenge and faced it head on. Upon completion of the book, I was surprised at how much I enjoy autonomy. Also, discovering the degree of my self-determination was motivating.

For the remainder of 2017, I'll be traveling, working on creative projects, planning my annual writing retreat, studying issues in LA County around housing to help end senior homelessness, and living happily in the moment. I want to keep my pulse racing; only dead fishes go with the flow. So, I challenge you to live out the rest of this year with me. Speak up for yourself, engage others, do what you planned to do, or create a new plan altogether. Break out of your comfort zone and break from your routine to find balance. Check out this video to get started empowering yourself:

SeshatCDG

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